London, 1952, 2nd UK edition, identical to the first edition. 300 pp, 48 plates. The official account of the first ascent of Mount Everest. Chapter on the on final assault written by Edmund Hillary. If you want to collect just one book signed by Sir Edmund Hillary, this is the one to have. DJ, Fine condition.

SIGNED by Ed Hillary and George Lowe.

Both signatures are on a 3" square piece paper and is tipped in (glued) to the dedication poage of the book, the page after the copyright page. Hillary ssigned as E.P. Hillary, and Lowe as George Lowe, and both signatures are authentic, as we have personally both signature in other books and can authenticate them.

The paper itself is lined, as from a notebook, but Hillary wrote his name large, the E.P. is 1" high, so 1/3 of the height of the paper. Lowe's signature is smaller, about normal size as if writing a letter. Both used fountain pens, in different color blue ink, indicating they probably used their own pens, in the days before ball point pens.

The fact that Hillary signed as E.P. Hillary rather than Ed Hillary indicates that this is an early signature, probably in the 1950s. Hillary, Lowe and Evans made a world-wide speaking tour about the climb, and it may be that somebody obtained the signatures at one of their lectures, and later bought the book and tipped them in.

George W. Lowe was a New Zealand climber like Ed Hillary, and they went on several Himalayan and the big Antarctic Crossing expedition together. They were good friends their entire life, and Lowe was chairman if Hillary's Himalayan Trust in the UK from 1989-2003.